Mourners urged to choose different flowers to deter sweet-toothed squirrels

Grieving families have been urged to only choose certain funeral flowers for Earlham Crematorium in Norwich, Norfolk, because squirrels are munching their way through the tributes. The animals have become such a problem that bosses at Dignity, which runs the crematorium, have put up signs warning mourners about the squirrels.



They say grey squirrels are particularly partial to eating fresh spray carnations and chrysanthemums because of the high sugar content and suggest other flowers may be less appealing. George Barrett, 67, has filmed the animals dining on flower heads on several occasions and wants sterner action to stop them. His daughter Karlene died in 2003 and he walks through the crematorium to visit her memorial. Mr Barrett said: “I have been going in there for 12 years and I have never seen the squirrels eating the funeral flowers until this year.





“It’s soul-destroying to see them nibbling away. I’ve seen tributes put down on the Friday morning and by the Friday afternoon they are in pieces because of the squirrels.” Mr Barrett said some of the flowers on his daughter’s memorial had also been damaged. He said: “I like wildlife, but you have to draw the line somewhere.” A spokesman for Dignity said: “We have erected signage informing visitors squirrels live in the area and can sometimes eat fresh spray carnations and chrysanthemums due to their high sugar content.


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“We’ve been advised by Norfolk Wildlife Trust squirrels are less likely to eat other types of flowers and a repellent spray can be purchased which deters them from eating flowers without causing any harm.” He said concerns had been raised with the city council, but Chris Eardley, environmental services development manager at City Hall, ruled out a squirrel cull. He said: “There is no intention of introducing a culling programme in the areas under the council’s control because controlling them in the cemetery, or elsewhere in Norwich, is unlikely to work.”